"Deep in my heart, I know there’s no promise I’ll be free from trouble in this life. In fact, I’m usually either getting out of trouble, currently in trouble, or about to meet trouble around the next corner."...... I hope you'll stick around for my "Lucille Ball/Gracie Allen" adventures. It promises to be a wild ride.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

The Color of the Wild: An intimate look at life in an untamed land by Gin Getz (Review)

An original, inspiring work of literary non-fiction; an unconventional memoir of woman and land. The Color of the Wild is the beautifully told story of one woman’s life, love, family, resolve and determination. More than a memoir, with stunning stories interspersed and intertwined with powerful poetry, prose, and stunning photographs, Gin’s captivating tone and intimate view bring to life the drama and trauma of one year on her family’s ranch, scenic and secluded, surrounded by and a part of the wild world around them.

Here unfolds the story of this woman, her son, horses, and a mountain—and the man who rides with them into a life where no one has lived before. In this country where winters are harsh, wild, and remote, author Gin Getz learns to bend and grow within the trust of shared isolation.

Parallel with the story of living on the mountain is a darker tale of heartbreak that threatens to tear apart their attachment to the wilderness. Gin lives under a dark cloud as her husband’s family disintegrates over issues of pride and ownership; a story rarely told but so common throughout the West.

After raising her son (now working in the South Pole) and outfitting with her husband, she returned to her passion of writing four years ago. The Color of the Wild is her first full length manuscript, a memoir covering her own wild ride of life and her growing connection with nature and solitude.

She recently completed a second manuscript on the life of another remarkable woman, Virginia Tice Neary Carrithers, and their time together in the wilds of Patagonia. Gin is now working on book number three, capturing the voice of the wilds around her and speaking for them in this volatile time of devastation from drought, beetle kill, and wild fires.

After living coast to coast and overseas, Gin has settled for now on their remote, off-grid guest ranch away from town, telephones, and traffic.

My moods fluctuate with the wind and change just as quickly. I am a kite caught in a whirlwind I cannot control. I seek stability but find none. Not within. Only around me in the solid rocks of the high mountain, the Spruce trees that have endured how many seasons of storms, and the steady flow of the river.

I am not certain like the seasons. I am quick to cry. Slow to heal. I love fiercely. Live passionately. And give all I can to those I love most. Some say I feel too much.

I am here to seek a balance in a land more passionate and intense than me. I give myself to the mountain, my tears to the river, my rage to the wind, and for a moment, I feel nothing but the ensuing silence for which I have hungered.

THE COLOR OF THE WILD is an extraordinary book and Gin Getz's writing will definitely hold you captive. It was a joy to read this book. I was transported into her world, one of silence, one of glorious white, one of hardships, one of love, one of life. I was transported into her heart and soul.

I love the photo above of the author. Her face holds the secrets of her life. She makes no excuses for who she is or the road she has either chosen or perhaps the one that has chosen her. There's a story along each laugh line, and each wrinkle has a tale to tell. It is the story of a very independent and strong woman who has, at times, struggled to find her place in the world. She writes with honesty and heart-felt emotion as she tells her story.

In THE COLOR OF THE WILD, the author used not only words, but beautiful photos and poetry to tell the reader about herself and the mountain on which she lives. I could find no fault with the book. I was transported into her life each time I picked the book up and opened it. It was a world I wanted to spend a lot of time in, a world where winter comes and stays for six months at a time. A world of white where every time you walk outside, you blaze a trail. A world where the air is fresh and clean and means only the survival of the fittest or the crazy. I am giving the book five stars, but truly, it deserves so much more.

The following is a favorite quote of mine. These are the words the author used to describe herself. Enjoy.

I can tell you about the place, but how can I tell you about me? What would you want to hear? I have lived in poverty, in my car, my van, in tents, in a mud shack, in one room cabins from coast to coast, without the things might consider essential, like a toilet and sink. I have floundered through parts of life, and struggled through others. I have been homeless, a single mother, depressed, drunk and flat broke. I have had no real career. I took on jobs to make it through: bartender, front desk receptionist, baker and wrangler. I never finished college. I dropped out to raise my son.

Is that what you would like to hear?

See, I'm not one of those who chose to leave it all behind. This is all I have. But this is all mine. I am living life loud. In the quietest way I can.

What would you like to hear? I'm nothing special. I'm settling into middle age, though I feel as if I have not yet grown up. I'm learning to love wrinkles and the first graying hairs. I'm somewhat small, though if I'm angry about injustice or standing up for what I belive in, or feel the need to protect my husband or son or my four-leggeds or the land, you might notice otherwise, and you might tell me that in my face, and chances are I won't back down.

At best, I've been called a free spirit. At worst, a social misfit who never assimilated anywhere else. A woman just looking for a place to belong. Well, I am still looking.

What would you like to hear? Some say I've been brave. Others just say I've been crazy. I say it's more likely a precarious balance of both.

This much I can say: I came here to work at a guest ranch. I decided to stay. Now I'm ready to leave.

My Life. One Story at a Time. is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the link above. A free book was provided by the source in exchange for an honest review. Views expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of My Life. One Story at a Time. My opinions are my own. This provided in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 55.

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